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Assemblyman Rich Gordon (Menlo Park) chaired his first Budget Subcommittee on Resources and Transportation (Budget Sub-3). The Subcommittee heard budget change proposals from 12 agencies and departments relating to transportation and from the California Environmental Protection Agency. These agencies included, but were not limited to: the Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles, Air Resources Board, and State Water Resources Control Board.

“Today was only our first hearing; we have much work ahead of us over the coming weeks. At the moment our immediate task is to focus on savings to the State’s General Fund,” said Gordon. The Committee spent considerable time discussing the Governor’s gas-tax swap proposal, which would protect some local transportation and transit dollars.

Assemblyman Gordon and other members of the committee expressed serious concerns about the level of accountability at the High Speed Rail Authority, and indicated their eagerness to take a far more detailed look at the Authority’s budget in early March.

“A desire to see high-speed rail built in this state – a desire I share, should not prevent us from demanding accountability for every public dollar spent,” said Gordon.

The hearings can be viewed on the California Channel or streamed over the internet.

To find the local cable listing of the California Channel in your area, please visit: http://www.calchannel.com/channel/carriage/.
To find out how to stream the committee hearing over the internet, please visit: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/Committee_hearings/.